Recently, a number of products have become available for sending and receiving voice messages using the Internet Protocol (IP). For example, Internet telephone software applications implement real-time synchronous two-way voice communications between users using Internet TCP/IP protocols. As a restriction, the users at both ends of the communications link need a suitably equipped PC including the same proprietary software. As with standard telephone communications, the person for whom the message is intended must be available to answer the call at the time the call is placed, otherwise two-way communications cannot take place.
Some electronic mail products can asynchronously send non-textual information, e.g., voice messages, via the Internet. For example, the voice message is first recorded in a file using a specialized application program. Then, the file is converted to a corresponding Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) format. The voice message can be forwarded to the intended recipient by attaching the MIME encoded file to an outgoing message using some MIME enabled e-mail application program.
Voice messages have also become a standard feature of many World-Wide-Web (WWW or Web) pages. Typically, an Internet user locates a Web page using a Web browsing application such as Netscape Navigator, or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Once a page has been selected, audio content associated with the page can be displayed by the browser after the page is delivered. In most cases, the audio message is a predetermined and embedded part of the Web page with no specific recipient indicated.
The audio content can be delivered to the browsers in a number of ways, ranging from simple audio (.wav) file transfer to proprietary streaming technologies, such as in RealAudio. The transfer is one way, from content provider, e.g., the web server, to the client browser.
It is desired to provide for the creation of multimedia content from within a Web browser, using a browser extension specified by a Web page, and its subsequent delivery to a remote destination. Furthermore, it is desired that the delivery mechanism be based on standard, non-proprietary, Internet protocols, such that the intended recipient may receive and process such a message using any e-mail client program that supports these protocols.